Notes from a Big Country
Registered by yesterdaysgirl of Frimley, Surrey United Kingdom on 5/28/2008
This Book is Currently in the Wild!
This Book is Currently in the Wild!
1 journaler for this copy...
Blurb
Bill Bryson has the rare knack of beig out of his depth wherever he goes - even (perhaps especially) in the land of his birth. This became all too apparent when, after nearly two decades in England, the world's best-loved travel writer upped sticks with Mrs Bryson, little Jimmy et al. and returned to live in the country he had left as a youth.
Of course there were things Bryson missed about Blighty but any sense of loss was countered by the joy of rediscovering some of the forgotten treasures of his childhood: the glories of a New England autumn; the pleasingly comical sight of oneself in shorts; and motel rooms where you can generally count on being awakened in the night by a piercing shriek and the sound of a female voice pleading 'Put the gun down, Vinnie, I'll do anything you say.'
Whether discussing the dazzling efficiency of the garbage disposal unit, the exoticism of having your groceries bagged for you, the jaw-slacking direness of American TV or the smug pleasure of being able to eat your beef without having to wonder if when you rise from the table you will walk sideways into the wall, Bill Bryson brings his inimitable brand of bemused wit to bear on that strangest of phenomena - the American way of life.
Bill Bryson has the rare knack of beig out of his depth wherever he goes - even (perhaps especially) in the land of his birth. This became all too apparent when, after nearly two decades in England, the world's best-loved travel writer upped sticks with Mrs Bryson, little Jimmy et al. and returned to live in the country he had left as a youth.
Of course there were things Bryson missed about Blighty but any sense of loss was countered by the joy of rediscovering some of the forgotten treasures of his childhood: the glories of a New England autumn; the pleasingly comical sight of oneself in shorts; and motel rooms where you can generally count on being awakened in the night by a piercing shriek and the sound of a female voice pleading 'Put the gun down, Vinnie, I'll do anything you say.'
Whether discussing the dazzling efficiency of the garbage disposal unit, the exoticism of having your groceries bagged for you, the jaw-slacking direness of American TV or the smug pleasure of being able to eat your beef without having to wonder if when you rise from the table you will walk sideways into the wall, Bill Bryson brings his inimitable brand of bemused wit to bear on that strangest of phenomena - the American way of life.
What a wonderful book, which is very easy to read as it is essentially a collection of short articles on a wide range of subjects. Subjects which very aptly lend themselves to a mix of anglo-american humour, I might add. Though I do freely admit some was lost on me.
9/10.
9/10.
Journal Entry 3 by yesterdaysgirl at Glamorgan Uni: Trefforest Campus in Trefforest, Wales United Kingdom on Monday, January 5, 2009
Released 15 yrs ago (1/6/2009 UTC) at Glamorgan Uni: Trefforest Campus in Trefforest, Wales United Kingdom
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
WILD RELEASE NOTES:
Left on the bookshelf opposite HaSS advice centre.
Left on the bookshelf opposite HaSS advice centre.
